iTunes Store Gift Cards Hacked

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Hackers crack the code and forge their own $200 gift cards.

By Chris Iaquinta

We love ourselves some iTunes Store cards, they're the only super legit birthday/holiday gift you can give and not have people think you're lazy or unimaginative. Or maybe people think we're jerks just because we're still giving out Circuit City gift cards. Meh, the company could still rebound, c'mon! Regardless, the popular iTunes cards have now come under a vicious setback in China, where hackers have cracked the algorithm that generates the iTunes Store gift cards, allowing them to produce and sell working cards for literally pennies on the dollar.

First reported by Outdustry, a China-based music industry consultant firm, these hacked iTunes cards are literally flooding the market in China, with $200 gift cards selling for $10 in Taobao, though Outdustry says they've heard prices can go as low as $2.60. Competition between vendors has gotten so fierce because of the insane number of cards available that prices are expected to drop even further.

There has been no official reply from Apple yet, though the only seemingly possible recourse would be a complete reworking of the card algorithm. But even then, it would be months maybe even years before all the iTunes cards already on the market were used up, giving the piraters plenty of time to continue to dish out their copies. This is truly ridiculous behavior, shame on you Chinese hackers!

Now if you'll excuse us, we almost have these Xbox LIVE points cards figured out.

Would you pick up a few of these if you happened upon them? Are you of the belief that pirating music digitally is more or less forgivable, but buying one of these forged cards is wrong? Comment below.